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Lot essay

This table combines all of the finest design elements utilized by Duncan Phyfe in the early 19th century: A double elliptical front rail, a finely fluted and waterleaf carved urn over a reeded drum pedestal, and reeded tripod saber legs terminating in lion's paw brass castors. Costly features such as its finely reeded elliptical marble top and its brass banded and veneered apron with turned drops would place this table as one of the most expensive forms available.

These refined features are also seen on related tables attributed to Phyfe. A closely related card table with a double elliptical skirt, waterleaf carved urn pedestal and boldly carved sweeping legs ending with brass lion paw castors is in the Kaufman Collection (J. Michael Flanigan, American Furniture in the Kaufman Collection (New York, 1986), pp. 186-187, fig. 74). Two similar marble-top pier tables featuring matching double elliptical marble tops with reeded edges, waterleaf and drum carved pedestals, and bold sweeping legs terminating in paw feet were sold in these rooms (Christie's New York, June 21 1995, lot 272 and Christie's New York, October 21, 1995, lot 222).

A distinctive element of Phyfe's style is the reeded drum-carving which also appears on documented examples of his work including the four post bed he made for his daughter Eliza (Fig 1; Nancy McClelland, Duncan Phyfe and the English Regency (New York, 1939), p. 132, fig. 114). Furthermore, a pair of card tables documented to Phyfe and made for the New York City merchant Thomas Cornell Pearsall exhibit similar geometric designed veneered panels on the aprons (Wendy Cooper, Classical Taste in America, 1800-1840 (Baltimore, 1993), p. 162, fig. 119).